Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1887-09-10
FARMING In JAPAN.
PHASES OF AGRICULTURE PECU.
LIAR TO THE JAPANESE.


Low Wages and Results-Absence
of Farming neutrality-suspicious.
of zing-Productions.
Written for the RECoRD-UNIoN by the Hon.
Horace Davis.
Ii was my fortune during the past year
to spend couple of months in the Empire
of Japan, during which l travelled over
some portions of the interior and was
much struck by the difference between
their way of doing things and ours My
object in this paper is to try and sketch
some of the salient points of their use of
land and the products derived from it. Of
course the very limited time | had at my
disposal, the small portions of the country
travelled over, and the difficulties in under
standing the methods of people whose
habits were new to me, and whose
language is often mystery to those
who have lived here these many
years-all these prevented me from
making much more than superficial OBJ
servations, but a great deal of their farm
ing seemed so new it was certainly curious
and much of it | thought would be instruc-
tive to the thoughtful farmer in California.
Asking some indulgence in view of my
limited opportunities of observation, will
describe what saw:
A NATIONAL HERMITAGE.
The conditions under which japanese
agriculture is maintained and the methods
by which it is carried on are so utterly
different from our own that it is very hard
to give any adequate idea of it.
First, remember the country was sealed
practically to all foreign commerce and
intercourse for two hundred and fifty years.
Of course the people were cut off from all
knowledge of modern advancement in ag-
ricultural science and all improved methods
of handling the soil and crops. At the
same time there was no exports to foreign
countries, and the farming was confined
to the domestic needs of the japanese
! themselves. To produce what their own
people ate, drank and wore was the problem
of the japanese farmer, and 50 they have
raised the same crops on the same fields
with the same quaint old tools, and by the
same primitive methods, as satisfied their
fathers hundreds of years ago.
Low WAGES AND CONFINEMENT.
| Then labor is so low, there is no need to
puzzle their brains for labor-saving ma
chinery. Men and women both work in
the fields, and | was told that in the agri-
cultural districts an ordinary laborer re-
ceived only 16 or II cents day, while an
able-bodied girl earned only u or Is, out
of which comes their food and clothing.
This will tell why we in America cannot
raise tea, where so large part of the
picking and preparation is hand labor.
And yet poverty producing as these wages
seem, the people were contented and happy
in their lot, more so, it seemed to me, than
in any country | have ever visited.
Of course with such low wages all agri-
cultural products are very cheap Iregret
that have not by me the current market
rates for domestic produce, but wheat was
selling at IS cents to 81 per Genital and
native -four, dark to be sure, but whole
some, brought only from 81 so to 81 so in
silver per barrel-prices that would drive
the California farmer and miller mad.
| NO LABoR-sAvING MACHINERY.
Another point in which their farming is
essentially different from ours is the alb
sence of machinery and of domestic ami
mails. They have no sheep no hogs, and
very few horses or bullocks or cows. Dairy
ing is consequently unknown No butter
or cheese is produced, and beef, mutton
and pork are unknown as articles of food,
except in the treaty ports where foreigners
reside. Of course, in the absence of sheep,
wooden clothing, when used, is of necessity
imported.
| VEHICLES AND TRANSPORTATION.
There are very few wheeled vehicles
drawn by animals in any part of Japan.
Of course, the foreigners in the treaty
ports have their carriages, but most of the
travel outside of their cities is done on foot,
or (rarely) on horseback, or by iinrikisha, a
kind of large baby wagon, two-wheeled,
drawn by one or two coolies. In the cities,
freight is transported on wagons propelled
by men who can be heard at all hours
chanting their song as they keep
step at their work, or by boats
on the canals which intersect every
japanese city. In the country, produce
is taken to market on pack animals, either
horses or bullocks, and one sometimes
sees rude two-wheeled cart loaded with
freight and drawn by single bullock,
while much of the light material is carried
on the backs of men. In the country the
roads for wheeled vehicles are few and
generally narrow. This apparent absence
OF means of transportation is made up for
in great measure by very free water COM
munication. All parts of the empire are
easily accessible by sea, and great care is
taken to utilize the navigable rivers and
to supplement them where possible by
artificial waterways.
WASTE LAND AND IT'S USAGE.
The hills and mountains are generally
bold and steep, and are but little cult
waited, only the lower parts being put to
use, and then only after being terraced into
level plats of ground. As they keep no
fiocks of sheep or herds of cattle the higher
parts of the hills are of no use for grazing,
and are thinly inhabited, and unused ex-
cept for the raising of trees. The Japanese
| L